(paraphrased)
Yvonne: I make a great lasagne.
Brandon: I make a killer lasagne.
Yvonne: No, I'm sure I make the best lasagne.
Brandon: I use my mum's recipe. Bechamel sauce, bacon, cheese...
Yvonne: Well, mine's gluten free.
Brandon: And that's better, how?
The conversation continued like this for weeks, with talk about special ragu recipes versus secret ingredients... until we finally had our showdown last night. I was invited to judge along with Andrea and Yvonne's husband, Alex.
I was also asked to make a side dish (uh-oh), so I tested out a recipe inspired by Alain Passard's L'Arpege Hot-Cold Egg that in theory worked out in my head, but I wasn't sure how it would turn out that night... especially without an egg opener on hand. We ended up having fun with the dish, with each of us testing out the knives available in Yvonne's household, testing out the best method to open the egg top without ruining the egg.
Here are iPhone clips from last night compiled into one video below:
If you're wondering about the verdict, we were all far too polite to judge openly.
Thankfully, I can say with honesty that they were both delicious. Without a doubt, both Yvonne and Brandon are excellent home cooks, so it's harder to compare the two over cooking techniques. It was interesting to see how different each of their lasagne recipes were however - each was a clear testament to their personalities and palates.
I encourage everyone to have their own lasagne challenges. I can assure you that in such a duel, everyone comes out a winner. *burp*
I encourage everyone to have their own lasagne challenges. I can assure you that in such a duel, everyone comes out a winner. *burp*
A full video about how to recreate the L'Aperge Egg at home